A time and place for mag.., p.6
A Time and Place for Magic, page 6
Once free of his restraints he made a muffled moan and let go a weak, dusty cough. His sunken eyes opened slightly, and his head turned to Jade. She smiled at him and placed her good hand on his cheek.
Jade looked up at Rachel, the concern in her eyes evident. “We don’t have any more water left. We crossed a stream at the base of this foothill but not sure what is more important now, reviving him or getting him to safety.” Without waiting for a response, “Do you think we can carry him all the way back to the car?”
“Well, we can’t stay here. Let’s see how far we can get,” came Jade’s swift reply.
Jade appreciated Rachel’s directness. She could always count on her to tell it like it was. She crossed over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing her hand in silent gratitude. Rachel understood, and together, they worked to get him out of the cave and down through the tunnel until they emerged onto the outcropping. The pile of boulders sat like a marker of freedom next to the opening as they crawled out into fresh air.
Taking a moment to rest, Rachel looked out over the forest below and realized the sun was setting behind the mountains on the other side of the small valley. There was no chance of making it anywhere near the car before dark. Jade caught Rachel’s gaze at that moment, and it was apparent she had just realized the same thing. They needed to move quickly while there was still daylight left. Acting in unison they propped the guardians head on Jade’s extra sweater and covered him with the blanket from Rachel’s bag. He was too weak to shiver but his brittle skin had begun to take on a slightly blue hue and he was getting colder to the touch. They needed more water, food and a way to keep them all warm and safe for the night. Jade took charge telling Rachel to find as much wood as she could for the fire before dark while she would deal with the water and shelter situation.
Jade, always the practical housekeeper, started by assessing the area. Using a stick, she shoved the dead fox over the edge of the rock cliff overlooking the sea of trees. She watched it tumble onto the earth and rocks below, coming to a halt against a tree trunk. Rachel, who had already made her way down the side, stopped momentarily to watch. She still felt anxious at the sight of the dead animal.
Returning to the task at hand, Jade spotted a fresh pinecone dangling just within reach of the cave opening. She plucked it, and the branch swayed back and forth. Holding the hard cone in her hand, she examined it closely, feeling the sticky sap and sharp protrusions in her hands. This would do nicely, she thought to herself. She coaxed the seeds from the cone and planted them one by one at the opening of the cave, forming a perfect half circle. Concentrating on each of them she caused them to sprout and grow. Realizing she would need more water as the soil was quite dry and rocky, she reached out with her mind, calling to vines growing along a stream that flowed well above the cliff. She willed them to grow together and down towards her forming a rudimentary hose through which water could flow.
She watched as her vine hose descended to the ground and the water began to spill and pool around her saplings. She touched the vines in appreciation and their response to serving her tingled on her fingertips. Jade retrieved and filled her water bottles, letting the guardian drink from them several more times before she felt he had enough.
Once the water had sufficiently moistened the ground, she helped the trees grow so that they were big enough to provide protection for the night. When Rachel returned with an armload of firewood, Jade could tell from the look on her face she was impressed with her barrier. After Rachel was safely within the protection of her trees, Jade caused thorny bushes and evergreen vines to climb and connect between the trees. Feeling safe at last from the darkness, she had her vines pull away from the water source above them stopping its flow. Rachel lit a fire which spread light and warmth. It was a helpful trick to be able to generate fire without a match and so they were able to focus on other matters such as food.
They picked fresh berries from the green barrier and as many pine nuts as they could harvest and eat. They fed some soft berries and fresh nuts to the guardian who was beginning to eat small quantities of food, very slowly.
Having eaten, the guardian sat up on his own. The sunken parts of his face looked less pronounced while his skin had recovered more of its natural tone. Large patchy flakes peeled off revealing new, glistening brown skin. His thoughtful, dark eyes looked gratefully at them both with his head tilted back against the cool stone wall. His smile was faint as if he were unaccustomed to it and his long black hair hung down his back in a single, tangled braid.
“I am called Lightfoot,” he said hoarsely and drank a little more from Jade’s water bottle at his side.
Jade took a few steps towards him, “I am Jade” and pointing, “this is Rachel, my friend.” Turning back to him she said, “I am the one who heard your call.”
She looked at him hoping for answers to her many questions, but instead he pulled away his blanket with a grimace and pointed to his back. Jade took this as permission to approach and she kneeled down next to him gently pulling his shoulder towards her so she could get a look at his back. She nearly recoiled but stopped herself. There in the middle of his back was a wound about the size of a fist with black veins radiating from it.
Jade’s eyes sought out Rachels. “It’s bad... I think it's the same kind of thing the animals had.”
Rachel got up from her place next to the fire to see for herself. This caused Lightfoot to look up uncomfortably at her as if embarrassed by the attention but leaned forward, nonetheless. Rachel looked down at the hole in his back which unlike the rest of Lightfoot’s body, was not healing.
“The black poison must be drawn out.” He said, just above a whisper before taking another drink of water.
He then proceeded to reach for Jade's hand, leaning further forward while motioning for her to put her hand on it. Jade noted his broad nose and high cheekbones which gave the impression of rugged wisdom while his strong jawline held strength and endurance.
“Just like you make the tree grow, you can also command the poison because it is a kind of living thing,” he rasped, taking another sip of water.
It was Rachel’s turn to look at Jade uneasily as they contemplated the dark, open wound. Kneeling down, Jade situated herself behind Lightfoot, directly in front of the opening. She placed both hands over it and began to concentrate just as he had instructed. Jade willed the poison out in the same way she had coaxed a plant to grow or do her bidding. As she focused her mind, the radiating spikes of black began to withdraw. Both Jade and Rachel could see the progress, which made Jade’s confidence grow. The blackness started to take on a life of its own consolidating inside the hole, jumping and writhing about, resisting with all its strength.
As it fought back, Jade’s progress slowed, and Rachel could feel Jade’s confidence being replaced with alarm. Rachel reacted instinctively, reaching down, she replaced Jade’s hand with her own. Jade backed up letting Rachel take over. Then gauging the wound carefully Rachel sent fire down into the poison, a flash of light and flame burned through it like lightning. Jade jumped backwards shielding her eyes with her hands and Lightfoot let out a muffled roar of pain.
Rachel stood and as her vision adjusted, she could see the blackness was gone. Finding that his eyes were squinted closed, she said. “It’s done... I’m sorry for hurting you.”
He bobbed his head in acknowledgement and grimaced, rocking back and forth as the pain began to diminish. Jade stood blinking, not quite sure to hug or scream at Rachel.
“Next time you take the initiative, a heads up would be nice... I know I was losing the battle, so I guess I owe you a thank you anyway.” She said, masking her hurt with a smile.
Rachel nodded and looked at the ground, her loose hair hung around her like a curtain. She had let her instincts take over. For a moment, she had actually lost control of the fire and she didn’t want to admit it, even to herself.
In the next instant, they were interrupted by rustling from the top of the tree barrier. Their eyes raced to find the source of the sound, turning towards it. Rachel’s sword burst into light and the vines on the trees moved in response to Jade’s commands. Rachel’s sword outshone the firelight which only made it more difficult to see what crawled under the darkness of night. Jade’s vines sought for something to grab onto, stalking the intruder like green assassins. With a sudden swoosh of movement one of the trees swayed inwards followed by a thud outside the perimeter. They heard the sounds of scurrying feet and falling rocks. In the silence and untrustworthy stillness, they both held their breaths for a moment before relaxing and letting go of their defenses.
That night neither of them slept, even though they took turns trying. During their turn at sleep, they shared the only blanket they had with Lightfoot, curling up with their back to him. The warmth from the fire and what little body heat they had under the blanket was enough to ward off the worst of the cold. It was reassuring for Jade to feel a warm body next to her on the cold, dark night even if her mind wouldn’t let her rest.
By morning, they found themselves tired and sore but alive. Lightfoot was able to stand and walk on his own, a far cry from the desiccated corpse he had been just the day before. Jade could barely contain her wonder upon inspecting his back. She searched for any hint of the wound but found nothing, not even a scar. He turned towards her, already expecting to see the surprise he found in her eyes. She pretended more indifference than she felt after that. Her gaze strayed to his broad shoulders. There was an earthy smell about him that made her feel safe. She had so many questions for him and maybe today she would get some answers.
They made good time coming back down the trail. Rachel led the way with Lightfoot behind her, leaning on a makeshift walking stick he had found. Jade, feeling emboldened by her powers, brought up the rear. She kept a little magic flowing as they walked which helped spread her senses further, like a magical warning system.
Chapter 12 – Answers
Lightfoot’s recovery slowed after that first day. His limp faded later that week. His muscles took more time still. Jade enjoyed helping him when he couldn’t do something for himself but did her best to hide her enthusiasm. He rarely spoke and Jade wasn’t able to get any useful information from him although he was never unkind to her. He preferred to spend his time alone, allowing Jade to join him only for his evening walk around the neighborhood. She speculated this was because he felt uncomfortable and possibly unsafe after all he had been through.
Miranda and Gordon dropped by several times over the next few months, but Lightfoot stayed in his room as he did whenever Jade had company. Rachel called but never stopped by as she had sensed Lightfoot’s desire for privacy from the very beginning. The triplets were strangely absent. They called here and there, until a few days before Christmas when one evening they came knocking at Jade’s door with Rachel, Gordon and Miranda in tow.
Jade peered through the peephole in her square white door and let out a squeal. She swung the door wide open and hugged the girls one by one. She herded them past the bare-leaf, pear tree and withered sunflowers draped with snow, into her warm home.
The sisters made themselves right at home on Jade’s sofas wrapping up in the blankets and situating themselves as close as they could next to the old cast iron stove. They didn’t snuggle in so close to the stove because it was cold. On the contrary, Jade had the house almost uncomfortably warm, but the sisters enjoyed basking in the glow of the fire light through the little glass door.
Rachel accompanied Miranda and Gordon into the yellow kitchen and seated themselves around the old familiar table. The scrolled ivy framing the border of the room seemed to bring a special holiday feel even though Jade had kept the same decor for years.
Jade promptly pulled out a large pot and set to heating her favorite holiday drink, Wassail. She started with two large jugs of what must have taken her hours to prepare and poured them noisily into the large pot. The jugs emptied with the repeated sound of glug, glug, glug. Soon even the girls joined them in the kitchen as the welcoming smell of Wassail drifted throughout the house. They laughed together and sang some familiar Yule songs around the table.
Finally, when Jade knew it was hot enough, she used her large wooden ladle to fill their mugs, one by one. She handed out the last cup to Rachel and then filled her own mug just as she spotted Lightfoot leaning against the wall in the doorway. The deep-set eyes remained mysterious, his black hair pulled back into a single braid and a handsome, strong face looked at her without revealing any emotion.
Their connection had only grown over the weeks and months, and she sensed in that moment he was ready to talk. She promptly walked over to him and placed the steaming cup into his hands. A spark of thankfulness lit up his eyes. He sat down cross legged on the floor where he had stood, sipping gingerly at the hot liquid. The silence ended as abruptly as it began with Lacy continuing on about her romance with the cop. Rachel looked bored or maybe annoyed and Gordon sat with his arm around a very pregnant Miranda.
Jade couldn’t have been happier. She looked at Lightfoot again and when Lacy took a sip of her Wassail, Jade took advantage of the break in the conversation asking, “Lightfoot, tell us about you. Where are you from?”
He didn’t act surprised by her question but looked stoically at his drink with a faraway look in his eyes. The room was quiet again, and all their attention was on him.
“I am from a land far away, a land at war.” He said bitterly, but then he softened a bit, “I haven’t seen my family in many years, and I do not know if they still live. When I left, we still held my tribe’s home, a large crater set atop the tallest northern peak. Many people had come to us for protection. I only hope the caves and my people were enough to withstand the Dark Lord’s armies.”
“How did you end up trapped in that cave?” Claudia asked, changing the subject.
Jade felt discomfort in him for a moment and Lightfoot shifted his chin to the side.
“A member of my tribe was injured in battle, and I was captured trying to help him.”
Jade could feel that he was withholding, unsure if he would tell them the full truth but before she could offer any words of encouragement Claudia spoke.
“Lightfoot, you are amongst friends here. We have witnessed the past, experience the present and we see the future.” She said motioning to her sisters. “You can speak freely. We know you are not from our world, and we know how you came to be bound but they do not.” The sisters nodded their heads in unison, reminding everyone of their unique connection.
Jade glanced at Rachel, Gordon and Miranda, their eyes meeting briefly before Lightfoot responded.
“My people were once respected and revered as shamans, protectors and leaders but other tribes wanted our power for themselves, and some discovered a corrupted form of it. Those that took this path became known as Skinwalkers, a twisted and perverted version of my peoples’ abilities. Eventually we became feared and mistaken for Skinwalkers. Many centuries ago, my tribe fled to the mountains to seek refuge in caves. When the Great Wall was built, and other magical races left for a new world called Athra, we left with them. Our chief was chosen as one of the gatekeepers of the wall that separates our worlds. It was a great honor and brought my people respect. Through the ages I have continued to serve as one of his guardians. I was very proud of my years spent in his service.” Lightfoot paused a moment sipping again from his cup, holding it more tightly.
His head hung lower, “Until I failed him. After a great battle with the Dark Lord's armies, they broke through one of the gates from Athra and took me. Most of the captured were given a quick, merciful death before being resurrected as a servant of the Dark Lord, a demented, half spider creature. Their memories die with them, but their bodies are left to serve the Dark Lord. Instead of this fate, they sucked me dry and left me cocooned in that cave as punishment for standing against him. Now I know that I was trapped for decades, unable to move or make a sound. It wasn’t until I felt Jade reaching out to me that the darkness started to end.”
A single tear slipped down Jade’s cheek; her gray eyes found Lightfoot’s. For a brief moment, everyone shared in their connection. Lightfoot however, looked down at his half empty cup and held it up to Jade without a word. She let slip a smile and wiped away her tear. She refilled his cup, her hand steady beneath the dark wood of the ladle.
Claudia again interjected, “There are things you should know. Raspiria is dead, her people vanished. Miranda is pregnant with her heir. Raspiria tasked Jade with saving you. She awakened gifts in each of us” she said motioning around the room.
“While the three of us have the gift of sight, the ability to see the past, the present and the future, Rachel is able to conjure powerful weapons, Miranda can read thoughts, Gordon possesses great strength, and Jade, as I am sure you have figured out, is a Gaia.” Claudia wrapped her arm around Jade’s shoulders and Jade snuggled into her embrace.
Lightfoot nodded his head slowly, sipping again at his hot drink. Understanding shown in his dark eyes but then his gaze grew distant.
“So, it’s finished? My people are gone?”
“No, your tribe survives. There are small groups of other races too, thanks to them. Most of the Elves, however, have passed into another place where we cannot see them.”
Claudia stood straight and leaned forward saying, “The Gatekeeper’s strength and time is limited. He needs our aid if the wall is to remain because he is all alone now. Many guardians have died since the time you served him. In a way you should count yourself lucky to be able to return in his most urgent time of need. Tomorrow, we’ll make plans to help your chief save the wall but tonight we celebrate Yule and give thanks for our lives and many blessings.”
She raised her cup in toast and the others joined in, except for Lightfoot who quietly withdrew from the group. Reliving the guilt and shame of his past had proven too much for one night.
